By Patrick de Kretser
There is a common saying, old is gold. Now, I am not particularly sure exactly what the demographics are when it comes to the age range of our readers, but I think I would be right in assuming that a fair number of you would have been born somewhere around the late ‘90s to the early 2000s. Although it does not necessarily matter when exactly you were born, because this article is designed to test whether or not you have familiarised yourself with ‘90s culture growing up. The term “90s kid” is a popular phrase used as a reference to those that grew up in a period that is widely considered to be the golden age for teenage culture. Of course, being a ‘90s kid does not necessarily require you to be born or having grown up in the 1990s. For example, I was born at the very end of the decade, hence why I did have a far more “modern” upbringing in comparison to what a kid would have been used to a decade prior. However, I consider myself a ‘90s kid because I did grow up watching quite a lot of shows and playing quite a lot of games that were reminiscent of exactly what the ‘90s lifestyle was all about. Do you fall into that category as well? See whether you can verify having experienced some of these popular kids’ shows from back in the day that any ‘90s kid would have come across at some point.
Mummies Alive! (1997-1998)
Vintage action back in the day came in the form of four mummies that were tasked to defend the reincarnated version of a prince from ancient Egypt. I remember tuning in to the show every morning to see the show and its iconic antagonist known as “Scarab”, who is, in my opinion, one of the most skilled sorcerers to ever grace film and television. It was a show that featured non-stop action and even taught you a fair bit about Egyptian culture as well, which is why it takes a spot as one of the best shows of its generation despite having only run for one year.
Johnny Bravo (1997-2004)
A lot of us grew up with an ego, especially during our early years at school. Those that know me well enough back then know that I was quite an annoying kid who occasionally tried to showcase how amazing I thought I was. Luckily enough, that has all changed for the better now. But regardless of how big some of our egos might be, none of it comes close to the iconic protagonist known as Johnny Bravo who graced kids’ television with his insufferable sense of masculinity that he tried to flaunt on everyone he met. There is no egomaniac greater than Johnny Bravo, which is why you cannot have gone through a ‘90s phase without having heard about the happy-go-lucky ball of confidence at some point.
Dragon Tales (1999-2005)
Does anyone still remember the Dragon Tales theme song? Because I certainly do. This show probably has to rank the highest on the list when it comes to soundtracks, because the iconic opening theme is unforgettable for those that were lucky enough to watch the show when it was airing on Art TV back in the day. Dragon Tales encapsulated everything a kid could dream about when it came to letting their imaginations run wild. Imagine being able to visit a colourful paradise where you could go on adventures with a group of dragons who became your closest companions? It was certainly a show which captivated me when I was younger, which is why it also takes a notable spot on this list of nostalgic kids’ programmes.
Samurai Jack (2001-2017)
It was only a few days ago when a friend told me just how long this show had gone on for. I thought for sure that Samurai Jack had ended somewhere in the last 10 to 15 years, but alas, I was proven wrong. It turns out that the heroic protagonist had to wait quite a while before he could finally extract his revenge against the iconic villain Aku. While the show did not actually first air during the ‘90s (before any of you try to point that out), it was very much symbolic of ‘90s culture and everything that it represented, hence why it takes a spot on this list. In addition to that, Samurai Jack is also a show that many in the younger generations might have had the pleasure of watching on TV at some point due to how long the series ran. Hence, Samurai Jack is really that series that connects both the younger and older generations that had a glimpse of the golden age of kids’ television.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996)
No list about ‘90s culture would make sense without mentioning this iconic classic. While we might remember Will Smith for a number of great films and shows over the years, quite a few of us will never forget where exactly that journey started when we were young. You guessed it right, that journey started with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As a nostalgic sitcom that is packed with hilarious comedy and features an amazingly talented supporting cast, this series honestly does not get as much credit as it should these days. Regardless, I did do the honour of giving it that credit on this list. And for those of you that know enough about ‘90s culture, you will know that this worthy addition truly brings the whole list a full circle.
Hey Arnold! (1996-2004)
Last but not least on this list is the comedy drama known as “Hey Arnold!”. It is a show which follows the everyday life of Arnold as he lives with a multi-cultural family in the centre of a nameless city in the US. Truth be told, I actually cannot remember all too much about what exactly the show was about. What I do remember though is just how much this show centred on some really hilarious family drama, which is something all of us can relate to when we were growing up with our parents and siblings. I thought the inclusion of this show on the list would be a nice way to top things off, because sometimes we have those shows in our head that we remember watching when we were kids, but cannot quite remember what exactly they were about. All we can remember for sure, is that these shows were memorable enough to stay in our memories for many years after it aired.
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So, how well did you fare? If at least three of these shows are familiar to you, then I would say that you are fairly representative of a ‘90s kid. If not, do not fret too much. There are ample shows that I have not mentioned, simply because I do not have enough room to list them all out, so the ones on this list are simply the ones which stuck in my mind the most and had the biggest effect on me when I was growing up. Perhaps now is a good time to think about your own list of iconic kids’ shows; which shows really bring out the nostalgic feelings within you? Whatever they may be, make sure to never forget about them. We are nothing without our childhood memories, hence why we owe a lot to all of these kids’ shows for creating some truly memorable moments in our youth that we will remember till the day we die.
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